It’s coming back!The health care reform debate is only through the first round. In a few years, as early as 2013 or 2014, we are likely to see another round, with at least as much whacked-out drama as this one. But the cry will not be, “Bring back the good old days!”...
In trying to think about the future of health care, thoughtful, intelligent people often ask, “Why can’t we just let the free market operate in health care? That would drive down costs and drive up quality.” They point to the successes of competition in other...
When the terrorist attacks of 9/11 hit the United States, and suddenly we were plunged into war, first in Afghanistan and then in Iraq, I don’t remember anyone demanding that the wars be “deficit neutral.” No one talked about whether we could afford them. They were...
A reader asks: "If the current bill passes are my health insurance costs likely to go up, down, or remain about the same?"If the form that I believe most likely to pass actually passes (insurance reforms, individual mandate, weak or no public option or...
(From the July 7, 2009 Hospitals and Health Networks Weekly)How can we tell what health care "reform" will mean for providers, really, on the ground? Politicians, the "chattering class," and especially broadcasters whose income depends on their...
(by Joe Flower, from TheHealthCareBlog.com)You want healthcare reform. I want healthcare reform. Grandma Jenkins wants healthcare reform. What is healthcare reform? What kind of animal are we talking about? How would we recognize it if it came up and bit us? What are...
